This invention relates to a method and a magnetic head assembly for magnetically recording control signals in a control track between information tracks and reproducing therefrom.
For example, in reproduction of sound using audio magnetic tape recorders, for positioning for reproduction one selected piece of music among a plurality of pieces of music recorded in stereo audio tracks, heretofore there has been proposed a method according to which coded control signals are recorded in each blank portion between pieces of music recorded in the audio tracks. However, this method has a disadvantage that if the blank portion is short, control signals cannot be written therein, and that when the written control signal should be rewritten, it is feared that audio signals adjacent to the control signal will simultaneously be erased. There has been proposed also another method according to which control signals are recorded in a control track between two audio tracks. However, this method has also a disadvantage that this conventional method requires an exclusive recording and/or reproducing head for recording and/or reproducing the control signals. Particularly in a cassette tape recorder, application of this method is restricted because of head arrangement and it cannot be utilized in practice.